Last push being made for Moray rum distillery plans

TIME is running out to invest in what is the first ever rum distillery in the north of Scotland and only the second in the country.

Husband and wife team, Lara and David Beach, plan to open a coastal-based rum distillery in Moray using crowdfunding.

However, with just over a month to go they are urging people to dig deep to help them on their way to realising their dream and hit a target of £35,000.

Beach Craft Spirits – named after themselves but also their passion for the Moray coast where they live – is based at Covesea where they have already secured a 350sq metre site to install their distillery equipment.

However despite a successful publicity campaign, they are still falling short of the money required to set them up.

Lara said: “It’s very frustrating as we are doing everything to make this dream a reality.

“People are liking and sharing our messages on our social media accounts, and we have great footfall to the website, but we just need one final push to encourage people to back us. If we do not get the money by 9 November, we will have to look at other options.”

David who has a degree in brewing and distilling with 16 years’ experience in the drinks industry and latterly working for Diageo, a global leader in spirits, added: “One thing that has scuppered us is the licence.

“We have to have a distillers’ licence. However, we could not get that until we got the premises, but we needed to find the premises and the money to secure them before we could apply for the licence.

“It’s a chicken and egg situation. We were going round in circles. We now have wonderful premises at Covesea near Lossiemouth and we are just waiting on the licence now coming through.

“As soon as we can get making and do some tastings I’m sure more people will want to invest, but at the moment our hands are tied and that may not happen before the deadline day.”

Lara and David are using www.Crowdfunder.co.uk to promote their distillery.

Investors that donate a minimum of £15 will secure themselves a plaque with their name on it which will be displayed on the distillery wall.

Whilst those putting in the top level of funding of £1,000 will get the plaque plus two VIP tickets to the launch party, two first batch bottles of spiced rum, two first batch bottles of intense rum, two first batch bottles of sloe rum.

They will also get two Beach Craft Spirits t-shirts, one hoodie, two bags containing rum stones, two branded glasses, one 36Knots collaboration beanie hat.

A £1,000 backer will also take home an exclusive three-year-old aged rum in a driftwood presentation case signed by the distiller, be treated to a tour of the distillery for two people and they will receive samples every six months to help shape the new product development for the first three years.

David added: “One way or another this will happen but we want to reassure people that if they invest now and we don’t make our target figure of £35,000 they will get their money back. It’s a win, win situation for them. All the risk lies with us.”

Lara added: “We have some great packages and what we have found is that those who have invested have often been buying them as presents.”

Once operational, Beach Craft Spirits intend to launch a trio of rums – a spiced rum, a sloe rum and an intense rum which will be a unique blend of fruit, coffee and liquorice.

The company plans to use local suppliers and companies to ensure the best quality of ingredients as well as specially selected cane molasses which will be distilled in purpose made copper stills.

David added: “This is not a pipe dream or some pie in the sky idea. It has been well thought out and researched. Forecasts show that craft rum sales will explode in the same way as gin has, hence our strapline, ‘It’s a Shore Thing’.”